Masks
by Valkyrie6
Summary: Set in Season 2 sometime after 'Innocence'. Someone's been sucking the life out of young girls around Sunnydale and Buffy thinks that Angel may have something to do with it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own none of the Buffy characters. Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, Joss Whedon e.t.c do.  
  
Feedback: Please do. I'm open to constructive criticism. In fact I welcome it. But be gentle this is my first Fanfic.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
It was night. Two girls walked home, after a night at The Bronze. The street lamps lit up their path ahead. They walked quickly, both a little scared of being out on the empty street in the dark.  
  
'I cannot believe Aaron said that to you' said one girl.  
  
'I know. He is a total jerk. I'm dumping him tomorrow' replied the other  
  
'I don't even know why you're dating him Sarah.'  
  
'You know why don't you, Alex?  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Cause he has a cute butt'. The two of them laughed. A noise suddenly stopped them they stood in silence and looked around.  
  
'What was that?' Sarah asked her voice quivering a little. She pulled her jacket around her. There was no sound to be heard but the trees rustling softly in the breeze and the faint buzz of the street lamp above their heads.  
  
'Let's go' Alex replied, taking hold of her friend and pulling her along the street. There was a loud crash and a man crashed out of the bushes in front of them. The girls screamed and ran back down the street. Sarah ran ahead but the heel on Alex's shoe broke and she fell.  
  
'Sarah' she screamed as she scrambled to get up. The man was on her in a second. 'Help me' she screamed. Sarah turned around. The man looked up at her; the gold harlequin mask he wore glinted in the light. He laughed cruelly and then he grabbed Alex by the throat and pulled her into the bushes with him.  
  
* * *  
  
Buffy ran. Her feet pounded on the concrete as she chased the vampire through the moonlit streets. Her mind was completely clear all she could think about was the kill. The vampire rounded a corner and came up against a tall wire fence.  
  
'Shit' He snarled and turned around coming face to face with Buffy. The vampire turned into an alleyway and tried to climb up the fence.  
  
'Bad idea' Buffy said and with a ferocious growl she yanked the thing off the fence and threw it to the ground. The vampire rolled and stopped a few feet away. Buffy leapt on top of it and pummelled. It pushed her off. She did a back flip and landed in standing position. The vampire stood and kicked her. She swiftly blocked the kick and punched the vampire in the face. Its head snapped back, before it could gather its bearings she kneed it in the stomach and staked it. Her face was expressionless and marched through the falling dust and out into the main street. Footsteps echoed in the distance and Buffy could see the figures of Willow and Xander running up to meet her. Buffy stood and waited.  
  
'Is it dead?' puffed Willow  
  
'Yeah' replied Buffy still emotionless. 'You okay Xander?'  
  
'Oh yeah, apart from the bruised ribs and arms and legs and chest and head, I'm fine' Xander smirked.  
  
'That's good' Buffy said, clearly not listening.  
  
'You okay Buffy?' Willow put a tentative hand on her friends shoulder. She shook it off.  
  
'I'm just thinking about Angel' Willow and Xander looked at each other.  
  
'Maybe you shouldn't do that so much Buffy.' Willow said. 'Tell you what. Why don't you come to The Bronze, with us tomorrow night? It's fancy dress night, it'll be fun'  
  
'Fun' Buffy repeated 'Yeah, I could do with some fun.' She smiled at her friends, they grinned back at her.  
  
* * *  
  
'Couldn't you be nice to me, just once' Xander complained, walking along the school hallway. Cordelia shot him a withering look.  
  
'Why, when I can just be mean.' She replied, stopping abruptly and flinging open her locker. Xander had to duck to avoid being hit by it. She threw her books in and slammed the door.  
  
'You want me to be nice to you after you blew off our date to go slay vampires when the vampire slayer is perfectly capable of doing it herself. Screw you Xander' Cordelia stormed off. Xander ran after her and cut in front, stopping her from walking.  
  
'Okay, I can see why you're mad.' Xander said reasonably. Cordelia folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. 'I am so sorry. I'll make up to you. How about we go see a movie tonight? I'll even buy the popcorn' Cordelia smiled. Xander suddenly smacked his head in frustration 'Dammit no, not tonight, I promised Buffy we'd go to The Bronze.' Cordelia's smile faded and she looked angry again.  
  
'Move' she yelled as she violently pushed Xander out of her way and disappeared down the hall.  
  
'Problems?' Xander turned. Buffy, Willow and Oz stood behind him.  
  
'Nope, just the usual. I'll make it up to her in the broom cupboard later' Xander replied. Buffy raised an eyebrow.  
  
'We have Math' she said with a laugh.  
  
'I've gotta go too' Oz piped up and gave Willow a quick kiss on the cheek before striding away. Willow smiled in spite of herself.  
  
'Isn't he great?' she said.  
  
'He's a party' Xander replied. Willow made a face. Giles came walking by.  
  
'Buffy are you free?' He asked, clearly agitated.  
  
'I can be' she said.  
  
'There's been a murder' Giles whispered 'They found the body behind the gym' Buffy looked at Willow and Xander.  
  
'We'll tell Mrs Pendleman you're sick' said Willow  
  
'Thanks you guys' replied Buffy, before turning and walking away with Giles. 


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy wandered towards the gym the lights flickered above her head and in the distance she could hear the sounds of police going about their business. She ducked behind a wall when one the officers walked past talking loudly on his walkie talkie. Buffy sighed, it was just another crime scene. How many of these had she seen before? She was sick and tired of it. Most of all she was fed up of the waiting, it seemed like all this stuff she doing was just the warm up for a showdown with Angel. He'd been annoying her recently, keeping a low profile. She wanted him to attack her at least then she'd know what to do. She'd fight like always and then she'd win, after that.well, who the cares right? Buffy peered around the back of the gym a stretcher stood unattended in the sunlight a white sheet covering the body beneath it. Buffy looked cautiously around before sneaking up and pulling back the sheet. She gasped and stared. The girl had been completely drained of life. Her mouth was twisted into a scream and her hands were blocking her face as if in an effort to protect herself. The girl was completely drained of blood and the corpse was emaciated and sallow. The smell was horrific. Buffy let go of the sheet and stepped back her hand covering her mouth. She couldn't believe how disgusting this was. There were no puncture wounds, not a single mark to show where the life could have been drained. There was definitely some major research to be done.  
  
'It was disgusting Giles, she was all twisted and gross.' Buffy said, sitting cross legged on the table in the library.  
  
'And you say all the blood was drained out of her?' Giles asked whist pacing around the room grabbing books off the shelves as he did so.  
  
'Yeah. She looked like she'd been mummified. Y'know like in that book you showed me last week.' Buffy stretched her arms and rotated her neck slowly. She was tired. Plus it was almost lunchtime. Giles was looking thoughtful. He suddenly jerked like he'd had an idea and ran up the stairs in the library. He came back down a few moments later with an old book. He slammed it down in front of Buffy. Dust flew everywhere.  
  
'Giles' Buffy exclaimed coughing. She jumped off the table and brushed herself off.  
  
'I think what we're dealing with here is a demon.' He said triumphantly. Buffy rolled her eyes.  
  
'Duh' she said and sat back down. Giles flared his nostrils and then explained.  
  
'It called the Liriasus. This demon sucks the life out of young girls. It's what it feeds on.' He turned to a page in the book 'In ancient times they used to offer it a sacrifice so that it would spare their village. It was an annual sacrifice they used to do it, every day for a week during a certain month. It had a lot to do with the phases of the moon and of course the months were very different back then so it's difficult to say when the exact time is that the demon rises.'  
  
'GILES!' Interrupted Buffy. He looked at her. 'You're rambling. All I need to know is what does it look like and how do I kill it'  
  
'That's the problem' Giles replied 'No-one knows what it looks like all the books are very vague and some even say it can change shape. The only people who see it are those that are killed by it' Both Buffy and Giles were sat in silence, thinking about what to do next when the door suddenly burst open. Willow and Xander came rushing in.  
  
'What's happening is it Angel?' asked Willow putting her bag down on the chair and sitting on the table  
  
'Nah' replied Buffy 'Just a plain old Demon.'  
  
'Yikes!' exclaimed Xander as he looked down at the book lying open on the table. Willow picked up the book and looked at it. The drawing was of a mummified corpse, a young girl. Willow grimaced and dropped the book. Buffy looked at her.  
  
'Try seeing it in real life. Believe me that's something I never wanna do again.' 


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy was walking down a long corridor there was no one around. In the distance she could hear the sound of someone playing a piano. The sound was so far away that Buffy couldn't even tell which direction it was coming from.  
  
'Hello.' She called.  
  
There was no reply but her own distorted voice echoing off the walls. Buffy shivered 'This way too creepy' she muttered. Suddenly a cold hand was clamped over her mouth and she was pulled out of the light in the hallway. Buffy struggled and she tried to scream but her assailant held on tightly. Buffy bit his hand, hard and ijn shock the man let go. Buffy turned around ready to throw a punch but he was gone.  
  
'.the hell?' she mumbled in confusion. She heard a sound from behind her. she spun round still nothing. Something was creeping up her shoulder slowly she looked down and there was the hand. This time Buffy was ready. She stayed completely still, until she felt the hand begin to trace little circles on her shoulder. Then she grabbed hold of the hand and twisted the arm of the man attached to it bending him over. He yelled in pain. Buffy swung him round to face her there was the smirking face of Angel. In her shock Buffy relaxed her grip and Angel freed himself laughing cruelly.  
  
'What's up Buff' he chuckled 'Did I scare ya? Well.sorry.' He paused for a second then laughed.  
  
'No wait I'm not sorry. I love it when you're scared, makes me horny.'  
  
'What's going on? Where am I?' Buffy asked angrily.  
  
'Don't you get it yet?' Angel smirked 'You're asleep. Y'know I'm really honoured that you've invited me into your dream. It's so much easier to torment you.'  
  
Something caught Buffy's eye. A reflection, a glimpse of gold, she turned to look and saw nothing frowning she turned back to Angel and yelped in horror. The man standing in front of her was no longer Angel he was taller and he wore a long black cape and a gold harlequin mask. His mouth was set in an angry snarl and he reached a pair of clawed hands towards Buffy.  
  
'Ms Summers!' Buffy awoke with a start, sending books clattering to the floor. She was sitting in class. The teacher stood directly above her hands on her hips staring down.  
  
'If your social studies class bores you this much, Ms Summers. I suggest you see Principal Snyder about it.'  
  
'No....uh....I'm fine' stuttered Buffy 'I just haven't been getting enough sleep is all'. With a dissatisfied grunt the teacher walked away. Buffy sat back in shock and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Willow looked worriedly over at her. 


End file.
